Here's the Belief Blog’s morning rundown of the top faith-angle stories from around the United States and around the world. Click the headlines for the full stories.

From the Blog:

CNN: Survey: Religiously unaffiliated, minority Christians propelled Obama’s victory
President Barack Obama’s victory relied largely on two dramatically different religious coalitions – minority Christians and those with no religion – according to a survey released Thursday. One-in-four Obama voters were religiously unaffiliated, the second-largest “religious” demographic in the president’s coalition, according to the study (PDF). Minority Christians – consisting of black, Asian, Hispanic and mixed-race Americans – made up 31% of Obama’s coalition, the largest religious group.

Tweet of the Day:

School book fair today and my #Muslim child chooses 'How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah'! #Interfaith on its way to social norm! @ifyc

People walked in the parade of Heirlooms during the rituals night carnival to celebrate the Islamic New Year in Solo City, Central Java, Indonesia on November 15, 2012. This year marks the 1434th Islamic New Year.

Chicago Tribune: Ads on CTA buses enrage Jewish group, others
The controversial ads unveiled on the back of 10 CTA buses Wednesday read, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man." They conclude with the words, "Support Copts. Defeat Jihad," referring to friction between Muslims and Coptic Christians in Egypt. Within hours of the buses' first runs, messages appeared on Facebook and Twitter denouncing the campaign. Many said that degrading a spiritual tenet of Islam — one that refers to a Muslim's personal quest to become a better person — amounts to hate speech.

Religion News Service: Customer sues Muslim barber for refusing to cut her hair
In case of competing rights, a Toronto woman has lodged a complaint against a barber who refused to cut her hair because he's Muslim. In June, Faith McGregor requested a man's haircut at the Terminal Barber Shop in downtown Toronto. Co-owner Omar Mahrouk told her that his Muslim faith prohibits him from touching a woman who is not a member of his family. All the other barbers in the shop said the same thing."For me it was just a haircut and started out about me being a woman," McGregor, 35, told the Toronto Star. "Now we're talking about religion versus gender versus human rights and businesses in Ontario."

The Hindu: Salute the sculptor
Recognition has come for temple architects, from Hawaii. Hinduism Today, run by the Saiva Siddhantha Church of Kauai Adeenam, founded by Sri Sivaya Subramuniya Swami, has conferred the Hindu of the Year Award collectively on the creators of divine edifices. “It is a proud moment for the entire Viswakarma community,” exults Selvanathan Sthapati, nephew of the illustrious Ganapati Sthapati, himself a descendant of Perunthachan to whom Raja Raja Chola entrusted the construction of the Big Temple.

CNN: 5 things we learned from Franklin Graham
The Rev. Franklin Graham spends most of his time running an international aid group called Samaritan’s Purse. But he usually makes headlines for his political pronouncements. Over the past year, Graham has attracted attention for his role placing newspaper ads in which his dad, the iconic Rev. Billy Graham, encouraged voters to support conservative values in the lead-up to Election Day. The younger Graham stopped by CNN’s Washington bureau this week en route to New York, where he was checking in on Samaritan Purse’s Superstorm Sandy relief and promoting a Christmas campaign collecting gifts for poor children. 5 things we learned from his visit.

What I believe is; "The Cosmos is immeasurably full of ever unkowable to us universes." The 'analogous' variabilities of moving universes is so slow in their plights that trillions upon trillions times triliions of our years will pass by before any other universe will gain entrances onto any other universe.

November 16, 2012 at 12:17 pm |

Apple Bush

lionlylamb, I agree that the universe is not discreet. It is tempting to believe that the continuous quantities are actually digital, tightly spaced in a grid giving the illusion of a continuum. I believe instead that the asymmetry in the universe supports this, starting with elementary particles. Additionally, I think that integers rule the universe and thus as we find smaller and smaller building blocks within the elementary particles, we will still not be done looking. It is relative and therefor analog.

"Fools tend to believe there to be but one universe when the fact remains that the Cosmos holds in its depths innumerably too many to find universes aplenty and without measure."- God's Oldest Dreamer

November 16, 2012 at 12:47 pm |

Apple Bush

G.O.D., I do not disagree that this is possible, but only as one of many possible hypothesis and it can't be tested in the lab at this time. I wonder of physics are different depending on the universe you are floating in? I wonder if the nature of reality is different. That might explain why we are unable to experience other universes or even other dimesions.

My body as a Being of the Self-Similar Cosmological Paradigms has many differential parts as does your Being's body is said to be different. The question yet remains, "Who are those super small living beings driving the blood cells inside ones physical essences? Who are the drivers of warring white blood cells?

November 16, 2012 at 1:15 pm |

hippypoet

sounding smart yet not being so actually has the opposite effect to those that know better.

As worldly events ensue and never do really change in their stilled and ever uncompromising austerities, the people will ever endure their owned principalities to stand either staunchly or learn to be maleable and bend like a branch in a slow moving breeze.

"Proprietary" word usages are my fortay wherewith I may write sometimes foolishly and still sometimes lavishly natured but always made for other's considerations no matter their inabilities to persue my thoughtfilled Word.

BTW, You are a woman of loveliness in your written Word!

November 16, 2012 at 12:24 pm |

Pete

The other best bet is that all of the magical things Jesus did are made up, as in they didn't happen.

Actually, I'd be perfectly happy if those that reject Christianity would be honest and ask questions so that they at least know what they are rejecting. There's far too many on these boards who make ridiculous claims about God and the Bible ...

November 16, 2012 at 11:18 am |

Apple Bush

Topher, what ridiculous claims? I ask questions all the time, but you never have a reasonable answer. Try again?

November 16, 2012 at 11:20 am |

Topher

Like what?

November 16, 2012 at 11:20 am |

Apple Bush

Jesus is a myth. History tells us this is true. Why do you ignore the facts and believe in this myth, and why do you believe reasonable people should too?

November 16, 2012 at 11:29 am |

Topher

Well, actually, there's very good evidence that Jesus, at least the man, existed. Even many atheists concede this. The question then becomes why do we believe He was God. And that really gets into why we believe the Bible is true. And the answer would be that the Bible is a reliable collection of historical doc.uments written by eyewitnesses during the lifetimes of other eyewitnesses who claim to have experienced supernatural events.

November 16, 2012 at 11:35 am |

Smithsonian

"And the answer would be that the Bible is a reliable collection of historical doc.uments "

The stories found in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 1-12, such as the flood story, the record is quite different: the time period under consideration is much more ancient. The factual bases of the stories are hidden from our view archaeologically. The stories remain a part of folk traditions and were included in the Bible to illustrate and explain theological ideas such as: Where did humans come from? If humans were created by God (who is perfect and good), how did evil among them come to be? If we are all related as children of God, why do we speak different languages? It must be remembered that the Bible is primarily a book of religion, a guide to faith. it was not a book of history, poetry, economics, or science. It contains all sorts of literary genre, which are used to teach about the relationship between God and mankind. Even biblical history is edited history: events were chosen to illustrate the central theme of the Bible. The Biblical writers did not pretend they were giving a complete history; instead they constantly refer us to other sources for full historical details, sources such as "The Annals of the Kings of Judah" (or Israel).

It is therefore not possible to try to "prove" the Bible by means of checking its historical or scientific accuracy. The only "proof" to which it can be subjected is this: Does it correctly portray the God-human relationship? In the best analysis, the Bible is a religious book, not an historical document.

November 16, 2012 at 11:39 am |

Apple Bush

Topher, I never said Jesus did not exist. I have no way of knowing that. The Jesus that you believe is a god, or the son of god is a myth. This is an ancient story pre-dating Christianity by thousands of years. It is your considerable lack of education that allows your mind to tolerate such obvious lies.

November 16, 2012 at 11:49 am |

Topher

Dude, just because there are older stories about gods doesn't mean The Bible doesn't have it right.

What other questions do you have?

November 16, 2012 at 11:53 am |

Apple Bush

You failed the first question. Jesus is simply a retelling of the Mithra myth (among others). this is common sense.

Ok, number two and good luck:

God is Jesus, Jesus is God. God wanted to have a physical manifestation of himself on Earth and though he created the heavens and the Earth, Adam and Eve, he couldn't manage a “Jesus” so he knocked up a virgin by proxy who then gave birth to Himself and then he waited for himself to grow up so that he could preach the "truth" to those who would listen.

Then he set up his own death so that he could suffer on a cross to "die" (even though he can't die) for the sins of all the many billions of people who would be born who had not yet committed any sins but for whom he has a plan and that plan includes sinning for some unknown reason so he needed to die for them. Then he becomes a ghost, takes a little trip to Hades to hang with the red guy and then he "rises" and walks about frightening people and then disappears after telling everyone he would return and never shows his face again.

Many 'goodly' people do entail many various knowledgable tidal periferies ebbing and flowing within the forces that be upon the humanist be they made singular or unendingly complex in their societal yearnings.

November 16, 2012 at 12:10 pm |

Topher

Apple Bush

"You failed the first question."

I have no problem going back and discussing that one further if you like.

"Jesus is simply a retelling of the Mithra myth (among others). this is common sense."

I just looked up Mithra and I don't see anything that's even kind of close to Christianity. Why do you think Christianity is a retelling of this?

Well, if I understand your "Why?" question, let me try to explain. God created us perfect, but with a free will. We sinned and thus separated ourselves from Him. When we disobeyed, death entered the world. The Bible says that it is appointed unto man once to die, then the judgment. Because we have broken His laws, it is only right and just that He punish us. That's Hell. And since every single one of us has sinned and deserve Hell, God had to do something for us. He came to Earth, lived a perfect, sinless life as fully man and fully God. So when He voluntarily went to the cross, He took the punishment that you and I deserve. Have you read the OT? Remember all those lamb sacrifices? That was for the covering of sins until the true and final sacrifice could be made. Jesus said He gave His life as a ransom for many. His death and resurrection provides payment for you so that God can see you as perfect and can thus enter Heaven. The Bible says though your sins be as crimson, you shall be as white as snow. Even if you don't believe the story is true, you have to see what a kind act this was. And God gets glorified because of it. Hope that answered your question.

November 16, 2012 at 12:17 pm |

Huh?

Mithra
Was born of a virgin on December 25th, in a cave, attended by shepherds
Was considered a great traveling teacher and master
Had 12 companions or disciples
Promised his followers immortality
Performed miracles
Sacrificed himself for world peace
Was buried in a tomb and after three days rose again
Was celebrated each year at the time of His resurrection (later to become Easter)
Was called "the Good Shepherd"
Was identified with both the Lamb and the Lion
Was considered to be the "Way, the Truth and the Light," and the "Logos," "Redeemer," "Savior" and "Messiah."
Celebrated Sunday as His sacred day (also known as the "Lord's Day,")
Celebrated a Eucharist or "Lord's Supper"

November 16, 2012 at 12:23 pm |

Bob

"I am a star which goes with thee and shines out of the depths." – Mithra
"I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright morning star." – Jesus, (Rev. 22:16)

November 16, 2012 at 12:28 pm |

Apple Bush

Topher, others have already replied to your first ignorant question.

Your explanation for the Holy Trinity is disqualified automatically because:

1. Free will is impossible IF God is Omnicient and Omnipotent. Because God made you for a reason, he also decided when you would be born and how long you would live. He planned the days of your life in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death. The Bible says, "You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!" [Psalm 139:16] Therefore, the concept of free will does not hold water.

2. There is no such thing as ghosts or zombies. Therefore these events did not happen. Fact.

3. I could go on but it is too retarded.

Ok, you have failed questions one and two. Let me give you an easier one. Why does God hat lambs?

November 16, 2012 at 12:37 pm |

Topher

C'mon, dude, do you need to call names?

Ok, so first, let me say I found another site that does show some similarities between the two. But the problem lies with everything the NT talks about is accomplishing what was predicted in the OT. It didn't need to "steal" from any other religion. What was predicted in the OT is completed in the NT.

"1. Free will is impossible IF God is Omnicient and Omnipotent. Because God made you for a reason, he also decided when you would be born and how long you would live. He planned the days of your life in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death. The Bible says, "You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!" [Psalm 139:16] Therefore, the concept of free will does not hold water."

Just because God knew what choices you will make doesn't mean He made you choose them. Wrong decisions are your own fault. If you've lied, that's on you. And who amongst us haven't lied? That's your free will. You didn't have to lie.

"2. There is no such thing as ghosts or zombies. Therefore these events did not happen. Fact."

I agree there's no such thing as ghosts or zombies. So what?

"Let me give you an easier one. Why does God hat lambs?"

He doesn't.

November 16, 2012 at 12:47 pm |

Pete

Topher the best bet for why Jesus filled any of the prophecies in the old testament is because he read them and decided to pull a fast one on everyone. It would go something like this: Jesus reads that the messiah will ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, and then decides that he better get is A$$ on a donkey the next time he goes into Jerusalem.

November 16, 2012 at 1:02 pm |

Pete

Topher, the second best bet about Jesus is that all of the magic that the bible claims he did, never happened.

November 16, 2012 at 1:08 pm |

Topher

Pete

That argument might hold weight if there weren't so many witnesses.

November 16, 2012 at 1:13 pm |

Apple Bush

@Topher

Who called anybody name??

1. Ok, if you do not understand the Mithra analogy, how about this one?

Dionysus was born of a virgin on December 25 and, as the Holy Child, was placed in a manger. He was a traveling teacher who performed miracles. He “rode in a triumphal procession on an ass.” He was a sacred king killed and eaten in an eucharistic ritual for fecundity and purification. Dionysus rose from the dead on March 25. He was the God of the Vine, and turned water into wine. He was called “King of Kings” and “God of Gods.” He was considered the “Only Begotten Son,” Savior,” “Redeemer,” “Sin Bearer,” Anointed One,” and the “Alpha and Omega.” He was identified with the Ram or Lamb. His sacrificial title of “Dendrites” or “Young Man of the Tree” intimates he was hung on a tree or crucified.

2. Again your answer is disqualified, not only because is made up and has no basis in science and no facts to support it, but because of this:

If God is the holy molder and shaper of mankind and god knows the future and god has total sovereign control over all things as the bible says, then god already knows if you will choose God or be eternally separated from Him. If god already knows that, then your actions if he already knows what choice you will make, are meaningless.

3. If god does not hate lambs then why did have humans sacrifice them?

If you can share some facts around the reality of seeing into the future, I will gladly listen. Until then, you lose again.

November 16, 2012 at 1:17 pm |

Pete

Topher, if I was to write about seeing someone raise people from the dead, and then showed it to you would you believe it? I mean I was an eye witness.

November 16, 2012 at 1:20 pm |

Topher

Pete

No, not if it is just you. Though if you had thousands of other people there who would confirm it, then you'd be more convincing.

November 16, 2012 at 1:27 pm |

Apple Bush

Topher, did I lose you buddy? If you want to carry on with this, I will be on the next article.

November 16, 2012 at 1:46 pm |

Topher

Already there waiting for ya ...

November 16, 2012 at 1:54 pm |

Please Read with Open Mind..

God in Quran says, (holy Islamic scripture)

“Proclaim, He is the One and only GOD. The Absolute GOD. Never did He beget. Nor was He begotten. None equals Him." [112:1]

“They even attribute to Him sons and daughters, without any knowledge. Be He glorified. He is the Most High, far above their claims.” Quran [6:100]

“The example of Jesus, as far as GOD is concerned, is the same as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, "Be," and he was.” Quran [3:59]

‘They said, "You have to be Jewish or Christian, to be guided." Say, "We follow the religion of Abraham – monotheism – he never was an idol worshiper." [2:135]

God will say, "O Jesus, son of Mary did you say to the people, `Make me and my mother idols beside God?' " He will say, "Be You glorified. I could not utter what was not right. Had I said it, You already would have known it. You know my thoughts, and I do not know Your thoughts. You know all the secrets.[5:116]

The Messiah, son of Mary is no more than a messenger like the messengers before him, and his mother was a saint. Both of them used to eat the food. Note how we explain the revelations for them, and note how they still deviate! [5:75]

“No soul can carry the sins of another soul. If a soul that is loaded with sins implores another to bear part of its load, no other soul can carry any part of it, even if they were related. ... [35:18]

It does not befit God that He begets a son, be He glorified. To have anything done, He simply says to it, "Be," and it is. [19:35]

When My servants ask you about Me, I am always near. I answer their prayers when they pray to Me. The people shall respond to Me and believe in Me, in order to be guided. Quran [2:186]

'Say, "We believe in God, and in what was sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and all the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them. To Him alone we are submitters." [2:136]

Thanks for taking time to read my post. Please take a moment to clear your misconception by going to whyIslam org website.

Godlessness and the ungodliness, for these are the choices from which commonwealth atheists do make felt upon their habitual senses. Many young-bucks of godlessness values and ungodliness principles avail themselves with the nailed doldrums' sciatica and do abound with much societal unpleasantries toward the abaters of wanton deniabilities against them, those ungodly and godless beings of smirked vials of randomized intention-abilities. Their deniabilities are not without compromising or so they do entail.

The mockeries of these godless and ungodly against the goodly who do themselves believe upon Godly importance may well live on past all and onto every Aged endings. How else could Life Truly End and Real Living thusly Begin? To believe or not believe for these are Life's choices. Still yet are found mercies, for the mercifilled are one of Life's greatest treasures and livings' sweetest unending rewards.

What was first made can never again become that which was made first for only in varying differential constructs can another thing be made to be outdone against that which was firstly made. The pillars of one's DNA, the spirals of all celestial life forms and formations is where God's Sons and their given wives are taken in as residents there abouts.

The Kingdoms of God lay where the inner structures of celestial Life do share in the abundancies of Living Fractals in Cosmological Paradigms. As mankinds' hunting for the Codifying of Life's laws in Cellularized Confinements continues onwards, many will ever become non-complacent in our societal grandeurs for wanting sakes trying never to be outdone by those who tend to be in simplifications' adjuring. May we be merciful upon those who deservidely aspire to be merciful toward others.

A scattering is upon us in these trying days and Age. Leave your wantings behind and never take wind of one's longings for the weightiness of one's longings will smite even the most influential. Carry away nothing and leave. Head to the places inside one's being and do not keep ajar your door for many will want to enter in and should not. Your loving this Life is for the world to have needs of and you should not heed the rumors from others as to just what is truly right. It is therefore best for mankind to simmer in their yet unfinished juvenile pottages never rationalizingly 'assaying' one's diffuse detriments, the very smallest of life's grains. As smitten breeds, our splendors reveal one's characters to be traitorous to one's analogous fold. Where then does True Life end and Real Living begin?

Who before this day's Age is found worthy of Goodly praises? Who after us will find peace set before them? Who in today;s timeline is this "son of man" that many should fear him for his worthiness stance? Who above can see the below? Who that is below can see what be above? From the very smallest crevice to the most high chasms, the Sea of Nothingness is the Holy Spirit. May the elemental Gods find favor in this found son of man that he may not be afflicted with this world's power but rather he should carry upon him the angst from his manhood till his natural death.

What I spiritually believe in is that the Families of God including God Himself lives upon the very first created Cosmos which is the inner Cosmos. Our being but upon this celestial cosmos is due our being cast out of the Inner Cosmos for many reasons. Some were cast out of this Inner Cosmos for faultering and some for continuing to do the Lord's Will here upon this celestial realm of gigantic life forms whereupon their insides are living many families of God's members. We live upon this realm doing what we want while many of us unify ourselves in the communal. My way is not your way and yet when we cross paths we receive each other and after a spell do walk on and are parted.Therefore, walk placidly amid the noise and waste ever being mindful of the peace one finds in finding peace there about.

Is God to be made a mockery by those who tend to instill anti-leveraged pragmatisms? Are we to believe in the godless and the ungodly who care little about the piecemeal subjectives' ordinates?

Jesus, was the very first of many immeasurable 'elemental beings' and was in the Beginning an elemental king of all the elemental Gods. Jesus, in His cunning, did thru Chaos' manueverings, established the gravimetrical waves for the elementals to gather in broods thusly was formed the beginnings of celestial nebulas.

As time did force the nebulas to progressively surround the gravimetric oscillations where from did come about galactic formations of the elementals' soundness. As systems of photonic elementals, the infinitesimal finite elemental Gods did shower the solarized systems with their embodied beings. And in the Now, we are but made from the photonic elementals' stillnesses, the stardusts of the Ages.

My "Physicist" knows very well the quantum physicalities of natured atomic stimulations. I call this "Physicist" God. He has strewn His Sea of Nothingness with 'photogenitisms' or the stillness of the photons creating all manner of the first materials needed to become thru timeliness all the elementals' members of our declared Periodic Table of Materialized Photogenitis.

Sciences are but the dreams dreamt and are atheists' treasure troves of good books they hardly ever do read, for many atheists aren't too bright yet they stand by these scientists without one iota of deniability to question science books that even the commoner seldom reads nor truly understands. Who among us knows about the 'Self-Similar Cosmological Paradigm'? Who among us truly understands that energy equals mass times light squared and its' true potential? What is the point in adoring scientific reasoning when one's IQ level can be counted on ten fingers?

I feel a compelling want to tell you about some verses in Gospel scripture. Is it not written to above all things to seek firstly the "Kingdom of God". This said, have you ascribed to doing so? Where does one look to or towards in order to find that which we are told to seek as scripture does declare one to do?

Mathew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God."

I've searched the Gospel writings and have found a single verse telling all who have found it as to the true and literal location of God's Kingdomly Domains!

Luk 17:21 "The kingdom of God is inside you."

I take Luke 17:21 quite literally and so should all who believe in One God and His One Son of perhaps oodles upon oodles of otherly Sons and Daughters too numerous to really expound upon! Christ is special because he was born to take upon his being the sins of those who were and then were also and of times yet to come! God's Kingdoms being inside us and within our ownliness bodies can also be associated with another verse of scripture ,,,,

,
1Corinthians 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, [ye are] God's building.

The just above verse does tell much more than just glimpsing over it could proclude! Our being labourers with God may well seem to give us all an equal footing with God and his aspirations for our betterment's sakes! His being our husbandry may well regard God as having a firm footing in our conceptions of childbirthing beyond mere genetic understandings!

But in the aboveness verse, the very understanding that we or our bodies are God's buildings may well inspire one to disavow such a claim due one's foresightedness sakes and lacking of rationalisms' of credible resources. Yet, as I see things, we, our bodies are not only God established and God created buildings for the benefits of the Godly who reside inside of us, but are for our benefits for learning and understanding the precepts of "Fractal Cosmologies"!

We have seen that which our bodies are made up of and they are of cellularized structures not "unlike" nebula structures in outer space places! These celestial nebula structures are yet a work-in-progress and our body-like buildings are a progress in the works!

These words are revelations of my Faith as to my Godly understandings regarding the Kingdom Domains of God, his Sons and his Daughters-in-law and all forms and mannerisms of Life-ever-lasting principles and principalities of ever living progressives!

Godless and the Ungodly for these are the choices from which atheists do make felt for their sense. They avail themselves with the doldrums' sciatica and do abound with much unpleasantries toward the abaters wanton deniabilities against them, those ungodly and godless beings of smirked vials of random intention-abilities. Their deniabilities are not without compromising or so they do entail. The mockeries of these godless and ungodly against the goodly who do themselves believe upon Godly importance may well live on past all and onto every Aged endings. How else could Life Truly End and Real Living thusly Begin? To believe or not bleive for these are Life's choices. Still yet are found mercies, for the merciful are Life's greatest treasures and livings' sweetest unending rewards.

I enjoy giving out the "money shot". Shooting loads in chicks butt holes is rad too. But if your stuffin the muffin wrap it up or use some baby pesticides.

November 16, 2012 at 11:31 am |

lunchbreaker

If you are in a long term relationship, Nexplanon is an awesome birth control option. It's an implant, for the female, that lasts 3 years and, shhhh, stops the menstral cycle ;).

November 16, 2012 at 12:19 pm |

hippypoet

God is an idea! Such an improbable idea that many have, to make the idea inarguable, said that the idea is beyond human comprehension. By doing so the faithful remove the need but more importantly the ability to prove gods existence and so make it an untouchable notion of truth based on an idea. How is that different from being delusional? Believers hold fast to an idea of an improbable, incomprehensible, and untouchable nature as if it is fact!
Until tangible evidence for the existence of god is discovered, the notion of god remains in the realm of ideas.

Quote from –
The Hippy Poet.
And thats a factual statement!

November 16, 2012 at 9:24 am |

Corner Cafe

Hippy Poet Hashbrowns

Our hashbrowns are seasoned to perfection and mixed with zesty onions. Got the munchies? Try these tempting spuds with bacon or sausage and 2 eggs, any style. $7.99

Pass the dutchie on the left hand side!

November 16, 2012 at 9:40 am |

A Wise Man Once Said

Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

November 16, 2012 at 10:03 am |

William Demuth

Hippy

I usually agree, but we are talking about humans. They are not logical

For many, God is a need. An easy explanation. It is the lazy mans way out.

Luckily, it makes no difference. Believe what you will, but you will still die. Extend your existence as much as you can, but understand that eventually EVERYTHING ends.

This is an agony for some (for me it is reality, neither good nor bad).

Alas, those who feel this need (this addiction) shall feed it by any and all means.

There will ALWAYS be Gods, because we will ALWAYS be weak.

All that can be done is to knock them down when the fools amomg us build them up. Each God in time fades into the realm of fables. Three thousand we know of already have, and the six of eight we have right now shall follow the same path.

In time, (if we humans get it) all the powers and attributes we gave to the Gods shall fall within our hands, but they STILL wont be enough.

We shall end, and rightfully so. All we can do is enjoy the ride.

November 16, 2012 at 10:30 am |

hippypoet

finally a decent conversation piece... thank you william. i agree with your statement – people are weak and fear too much of the unknown and therefore will always have a "need" for god(s)... but that doesn't make it any less willfully ignorant and delusional.

November 16, 2012 at 10:33 am |

CCC

50 By natural reason man can know God with certainty, on the basis of his works. But there is another order of knowledge, which man cannot possibly arrive at by his own powers: the order of divine Revelation. Through an utterly free decision, God has revealed himself and given himself to man. This he does by revealing the mystery, his plan of loving goodness, formed from all eternity in Christ, for the benefit of all men. God has fully revealed this plan by sending us his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
54 "God, who creates and conserves all things by his Word, provides men with constant evidence of himself in created realities. And furthermore, wishing to open up the way to heavenly salvation — he manifested himself to our first parents from the very beginning." He invited them to intimate communion with himself and clothed them with resplendent grace and justice.
55 This revelation was not broken off by our first parents' sin. "After the fall, [God] buoyed them up with the hope of salvation, by promising redemption; and he has never ceased to show his solicitude for the human race. For he wishes to give eternal life to all those who seek salvation by patience in well-doing."

Even when he disobeyed you and lost your friendship you did not abandon him to the power of death... Again and again you offered a covenant to man.

56 After the unity of the human race was shattered by sin God at once sought to save humanity part by part. The covenant with Noah after the flood gives expression to the principle of the divine economy toward the "nations", in other words, towards men grouped "in their lands, each with [its] own language, by their families, in their nations".

57 This state of division into many nations is at once cosmic, social and religious. It is intended to limit the pride of fallen humanity united only in its perverse ambition to forge its own unity as at Babel. But, because of sin, both polytheism and the idolatry of the nation and of its rulers constantly threaten this provisional economy with the perversion of paganism.

58 The covenant with Noah remains in force during the times of the Gentiles, until the universal proclamation of the Gospel. The Bible venerates several great figures among the Gentiles: Abel the just, the king-priest Melchisedek — a figure of Christ — and the upright "Noah, Daniel, and Job". Scripture thus expresses the heights of sanct.ity that can be reached by those who live according to the covenant of Noah, waiting for Christ to "gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad"

59 In order to gather together scattered humanity God calls Abram from his country, his kindred and his father's house, and makes him Abraham, that is, "the father of a mult.itude of nations". "In you all the nations of the earth shall be blessed."

60 The people descended from Abraham would be the trustee of the promise made to the patriarchs, the chosen people, called to prepare for that day when God would gather all his children into the unity of the Church. They would be the root on to which the Gentiles would be grafted, once they came to believe.

61 The patriarchs, prophets and certain other Old Testament figures have been and always will be honored as saints in all the Church's liturgical traditions.
62 After the patriarchs, God formed Israel as his people by freeing them from slavery in Egypt. He established with them the covenant of Mount Sinai and, through Moses, gave them his law so that they would recognize him and serve him as the one living and true God, the provident Father and just judge, and so that they would look for the promised Savior.

63 Israel is the priestly people of God, "called by the name of the LORD", and "the first to hear the word of God", the people of "elder brethren" in the faith of Abraham.

64 Through the prophets, God forms his people in the hope of salvation, in the expectation of a new and everlasting Covenant intended for all, to be written on their hearts. The prophets proclaim a radical redemption of the People of God, purification from all their infidelities, a salvation which will include all the nations. Above all, the poor and humble of the Lord will bear this hope. Such holy women as Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Judith and Esther kept alive the hope of Israel's salvation. The purest figure among them is Mary.
65 "In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son." Christ, the Son of God made man, is the Father's one, perfect and unsurpassable Word. In him he has said everything; there will be no other word than this one. St. John of the Cross, among others, commented strikingly on Hebrews 1:1-2:

In giving us his Son, his only Word (for he possesses no other), he spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word — and he has no more to say... because what he spoke before to the prophets in parts, he has now spoken all at once by giving us the All Who is His Son. Any person questioning God or desiring some vision or revelation would be guilty not only of foolish behavior but also of offending him, by not fixing his eyes entirely upon Christ and by living with the desire for some other novelty.

November 16, 2012 at 10:36 am |

CCC

There will be no further Revelation
66 "The Christian economy, therefore, since it is the new and definitive Covenant, will never pass away; and no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ." Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries.
67 Throughout the ages, there have been so-called "private" revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever const.itutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.
Christian faith cannot accept "revelations" that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such "revelations".

November 16, 2012 at 10:38 am |

hippypoet

@CCC – i can quote harry potter but that doesn't make it anything more then what it is! FICTION. deal with it or go start truly living by it – the police will be by shortly after....or do you lack the conviction to do what your word of god has commanded of you?

November 16, 2012 at 10:39 am |

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (NIV)

November 16, 2012 at 8:54 am |

Apple Bush

That is lovely and I want to help. However, I am unsure what I need to pray for. Should I pray for god to heal the lands? Why does god want to destroy the lands in the first place? Perhaps I should pray for god not to destroy the lands? I am confused.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. (NIV)

November 16, 2012 at 8:46 am |

Apple Bush

I see dead people.

November 16, 2012 at 8:46 am |

HeavenSense

The spirit delights in the suffering of humanity.

November 16, 2012 at 8:48 am |

HeavenSent

I have to come on to these articles early in the morning so scotty doesn't steal my handle to spew lies about Jesus' truth. The FBI came back and took my coucn to the lab. You have the chance of repenting for your sins to Jesus, ask Him if you can get closer to Him, and of course, sin no more.

Amen.

November 16, 2012 at 8:42 am |

TruthPrevails :-)

No-one sins...they make mistakes but sin does not exist.

November 16, 2012 at 9:33 am |

HeavenSent

@truth prevails

You smug atheists believe yourself to be mini-gods. Keep showing your pride to the Lord and see where sin will take for eternity. My camel-toe left a suicide note. You are too blind to see His truth whether I write it in street language or scripture form.

Amen.

November 16, 2012 at 9:45 am |

Corner Cafe

Breakfast Burrito $2.99 all day. Bottomless coffee!

November 16, 2012 at 7:27 am |

JellyBean@Corner Cafe

Good morning Corner Cafe! Hows about a Purgatory Pit Roast dinner?

November 16, 2012 at 7:38 am |

Corner Cafe

I will speak to the chef!

November 16, 2012 at 7:42 am |

Belief Blog Bistro

A good breakfast will make you feel great! All bagel breakfast sandwiches $3.99 and includes tea, coffee or juice.

@ Mirosal: The whole world could be transformed if each person brought love into it on a personal basis. On this we can agree. Those of us who believe in God know that we are commanded to do so. It's time for all of us to start acting more lovingly toward one another.

November 16, 2012 at 7:15 am |

Mirosal

If you really need to be com'manded to love another, you are in sad shape. I am never com'manded to love another, no god has any po'wer over me. To be told to love another is asinine.

November 16, 2012 at 7:21 am |

Chick-a-dee

If you don't think there is a need to command people to love one another, you have obviously never minded a room full of preschoolers. Based on the behaviour we see all around us, this need is obviously not limited by age.

November 16, 2012 at 8:13 am |

Chick-a-dee

G0d is Love.

November 16, 2012 at 6:44 am |

Mirosal

"God" is a myth.

November 16, 2012 at 6:52 am |

nope

@mi....
nope

November 16, 2012 at 6:53 am |

snopes confirms

nope is false

November 16, 2012 at 8:14 am |

Doc Vestibule

God's primary attribute is jealousy, not love.
It says so in the first commandment.

November 16, 2012 at 9:06 am |

If you knew the meaning of God's jealousy, you would see that

if we shared God’s jealousy for others, we too would be filling our minds with God’s truth and graciously sharing it with those whom God sends our way. We would want what is best for them, and we know that patterning their lives according to His Word will always result in their greatest possible good. If we cared enough we would share the very best—the eternal truths of God’s Word.

November 16, 2012 at 10:26 am |

Chick-a-dee

God is Love.

November 16, 2012 at 6:43 am |

Mirosal

"God" is only a myth, it is only a myth. If there had been an actual deity, you would have been instructed to tune in to news and updates. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

November 16, 2012 at 6:54 am |

nope

@mir...
nope

November 16, 2012 at 6:55 am |

snopes confirms

nope is a dope

November 16, 2012 at 8:15 am |

Chick-a-dee

Love changes things.

November 16, 2012 at 6:42 am |

Mirosal

Love could change things, only from a personal perspective. But, one does NOT need any religion or deity in order to love someone. Prayers are a moot point.

November 16, 2012 at 6:55 am |

nope

@mi ...
nope

November 16, 2012 at 6:56 am |

snopes confirms

nope is false

November 16, 2012 at 8:15 am |

Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things

Prayer changes things

November 16, 2012 at 6:14 am |

Mirosal

No, it doesn't, and no, it cannot change a thing, even by your own beliefs.

November 16, 2012 at 6:31 am |

nope

@mi...
nope

November 16, 2012 at 6:51 am |

Mirosal

explain why "nope", and be specific.

November 16, 2012 at 6:56 am |

nope

@miro...
nope

November 16, 2012 at 6:56 am |

HeavenSense

Hi Prayerbot.

November 16, 2012 at 7:24 am |

snopes confirms

nope is a dope

November 16, 2012 at 8:16 am |

hal 9001

I'm sorry, "Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things", but your assertions regarding atheism and prayer are unfounded. Using my Idiomatic Expression Equivalency module (IEE), the expression that best matches the degree to which your assertions may represent truths is: "TOTAL FAIL".

I see that you repeat these unfounded statements with high frequency. Perhaps the following book can help you:

I'm Told I Have Dementia: What You Can Do... Who You Can Turn to...

November 16, 2012 at 8:17 am |

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (NIV)

Prayer does not; you are such a LIAR. You have NO proof it changes anything! A great example of prayer proven not to work is the Christians in jail because prayer didn't work and their children died. For example: Susan Grady, who relied on prayer to heal her son. Nine-year-old Aaron Grady died and Susan Grady was arrested.

An article in the Journal of Pediatrics examined the deaths of 172 children from families who relied upon faith healing from 1975 to 1995. They concluded that four out of five ill children, who died under the care of faith healers or being left to prayer only, would most likely have survived if they had received medical care.

The statistical studies from the nineteenth century and the three CCU studies on prayer are quite consistent with the fact that humanity is wasting a huge amount of time on a procedure that simply doesn’t work. Nonetheless, faith in prayer is so pervasive and deeply rooted, you can be sure believers will continue to devise future studies in a desperate effort to confirm their beliefs.-

The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.